Emergence
by frozenoj
Summary: One touch changed everything. After a harrowing visit to the Mirror Cave, Rey was pleased to find her Force Bond with Kylo activated. Reaching across the cosmos both figuratively and literally brought them the belonging they both desperately needed. What they did not count on was their first touch transporting Kylo from his place on the Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy to Rey
1. Smut Hut

**A/N:** I haven't written much over the last several years, and never for the Star Wars fandom. I am happy to get this fic started as part of #reyloweek2018 on Tumblr! I'm FrozenOJ if you want to come say hello. This chapter is short but I'm about 2/3 through chapter 2 and it is already twice as long.

I'd like to thank my friends Sheva and Bug for encouraging me to write, providing moral support, and ensuring I wouldn't embarrass my English 101 teacher for giving me a passing grade should she ever read this. Go B-Team!

* * *

Kylo Ren appeared not long after Rey returned to her hut from the mirror cave, and she was not bothered to find she found his presence comforting. "I thought I'd find answers here. I was wrong. I've never felt so alone."

In a soft voice from across the galaxy Kylo responded with a truth he felt deep in his soul, "You're not alone."

As Rey shifted her gaze to his eyes, understanding passed between them. Each word in the simple declaration stood in place of another. Hoping that she would be understood just as clearly, Rey spoke three words of her own. "Neither are you." After a pause to gather strength she added, "It isn't too late." Slowly she began to lift her hand towards the opposite side of the fire, where she could see him as if he were actually there.

Kylo's eyes flitted to her hand, and with a shaky breath removed his glove to do the same. He would not allow the barrier to come between them now. The force pulsed around them as their fingers touched, as if breathing a sigh of relief. Then Rey was dragged into a vision of the future.

 _She was looking into the cave's wall a second time, seeing two figures approach before merging into one. Then, she thought they were her parents. Hoped they were her parents. Now, the fog was gone and the silhouettes were clear. Ben and herself coming together from opposite sides, turning to face each other. Their faces shone brightly with a contentment she had never felt in reality while her phantom_ self merged _into his._ Finally _he (they?) brought his phantom hand up to meet her real one, pressed against the glass before fading away._

Crashing back into the present Rey felt the force hum with warning, as the hut was blasted apart. Bricks flew outward from where Luke stood in what used to be the doorway. How was this possible? He had told Rey that he was cut off from the force during her training, but that seemed to no longer be true. Even more shocking was that Luke could see Kylo. That should be impossible with him technically being on a First Order ship who knows how many light years away. Glancing back across the fire Rey could tell Kylo was equally perplexed. The durasteel walls and controlled climate of his ship had been replaced with the night sky and rain of whatever planet Luke had hidden on.

It did not take long for Kylo to recover. He might not understand how he came to be in this part of the galaxy, but that would not stop him from killing his prey. He had waited years for this opportunity! Luke, similarly, was unperturbed. The old lightsaber flew from Rey's bag into its former master's hand. Rey hardly had time to step out of the way before uncle and nephew we're locked in battle.

Rey reacted on instinct. On the Finalizer when their minds first connected, she had absorbed some of Kylo's understanding of the force. Conveniently, he had always been an eager study. A single word, _malacia_ , came to her. Although she did not know what it meant or exactly what would happen, the force guided her to focus on their blood.

They collapsed in a heap and began to retch, the lightsabers unceremoniously dropped beside them. Although criticized for only working on organic beings, malacia's usage of the target's energy rather than the force sensitive's gave it an edge. The unpleasantness of becoming acutely aware of your own blood's movement throughout your body notwithstanding, it did not actually cause any damage. Its underutilization despite being an effective light side offensive power could be due to the resulting body fluids. Kylo, like many young boys, had gone through a phase where nothing was more humorous.

Rey collected the weapons with an exasperated sigh as they continued to empty their stomachs all over her floor. The caretakers would surely blame her for the mess, again. She addressed them with arms akimbo, "was that really necessary?"

"How did you do that?!" the men responded in unison. It was easier now to see the relation.

"It doesn't matter. What does is matter is that you stop trying to kill each other before I end you both!" Neither of them particularly cared for that idea, and made it known. Another bout of dizziness and nausea had them rethinking that stance. "Luke, I have no idea what you thought was going on here, but I assure you there was no need to blow up my hut. Can none of your family control your tempers? Don't answer that. Kylo, I have no idea how you got here here. There are still areas where my knowledge is… lacking. If you know how to get back where you came from, now is the time to speak up."

Kylo started to speak, "no, Rey, I…" Her narrowed gaze was enough to stop him from finishing his sentence. He had been tortured enough to know when to keep his mouth shut.

"Okay… okay. I assume you were on a ship, yes? We need to get you back there before anyone notices you're missing. I will come with you as long as we leave peacefully. Luke, don't even start. As long as we leave peacefully I will bring him home."

Luke stood up, brushed off his pants, and answered, "no."


	2. Escape Pod

**A/N:** I promised a longer chapter, and here it is!

I'd like to thank my friends Sheva and Bug for all their help on this chapter. Go B-Team! Also Pandora_Spocks for encouraging me to start a fic in the first place. I can't believe I forgot to thank you last chapter!

* * *

Kylo's look was murderous. He could scarcely believe he was even here, let alone that Rey was willing to return with him. He was even willing to let Skywalker go if that's what she required. Somehow she had become what was most important, faster than he could grasp what was happening. Skywalker had enough to answer for already, no way in hell would he ruin this too. Rey, for her part, looked like she might allow him to at least rough up his uncle enough for them to get away. He dismissed the nagging thought that no one _allowed_ him to do anything. He had offered to teach her that day in the woods, but deep down he knows she is his master.

A look of alarm passed through Luke's face, and he held up his hands in an attempt at desculation. "No, no, I only meant I'm coming with you! I was on my way to tell Rey I'd changed my mind when I felt the presence of _Kylo Ren_. I think you're making a huge mistake going with him, but I've learned I can't stop you. If Rey isn't returning to the resistance I will go in her place."

Kylo stood up, grabbed Rey's bag, and growled out, "Okay then let's go!" He exited the hut only to remember he was on an unfamiliar planet and hadn't a clue where the ship was parked.

While he looked around bewilderedly Rey pushed past him, giving him a smile. "You should probably stay back, if Chewbacca sees you stomping towards the Falcon he's likely to shoot you again."

"I do not _stomp_ ," Kylo muttered under his breath as he stomped down the hill. In a louder voice he agreed, "I don't know if you noticed but I haven't even completely healed from the last time."

Luke called back from where he had moved to the front of the procession, "Can we please not talk about when Rey might have noticed your wounds? Mother of Kwath! This is not what I had in mind when I introduced you as my niece."

Rey looked down at her feet, feigning caution in regards to where she stepped. Her and Kylo both were glad the rain disguised the color in their cheeks. The rest of the trek was spent in silence.

Kylo hung back as they neared Han Solo's old freighter. He felt a familiar rage course through him at the sight. The usual hatred for his father was laced with something new, shame perhaps, that he was not quite ready to identify. He gritted his teeth and expanded his awareness with the force so he'd have warning if Chewbacca decided to attack again.

Luke and Rey found Chewie in the main hold fruitlessly trying to teach a porg how to play Dejarik. He was pleased to hear they were leaving, and that Luke was joining them. Picking up Luke had been the mission that sent them to Ahch-To in the first place, after all. Luke calmly explained that they had another passenger while infusing the air around them with a sense of tranquility. Even then Kylo could hear Chewie's protest from where he stood outside.

Rey cleared her throat and spoke without looking them in the eyes, "I… I had a vision, I think".

Chewie huffed as if he had never put much stock in such things.

"He turned, and joined me." Making eye contact with them both in turn she informed them, "You failed him by thinking his choice was made. It wasn't. There's still conflict in him. If he were turned from the dark side, that could shift the tide. This could be how we win."

Grief darkened his face, but Chewbacca growled his acceptance. He let a porg crawl on his shoulder then lumbered off to the cockpit.

With indignation Kylo heard the engines roar to life. Of course they would abandon him on this cursed rock, they've abandoned him his whole life. But then Rey started down the ramp and begged him forward with her hands. His heart swelled at the sight of her. She wouldn't leave him here, she would have abandoned the ship before him. He inwardly chastised himself for doubting her. He was just so used to disappointment and betrayal that he didn't know what to do with someone having his back.

Luke and Kylo sat on opposite ends of the booth in the main hold of the Falcon in uneasy silence. Rey sat at the engineering station with her chair turned around to face them. They had been sitting like that for the last 10 minutes and Rey was getting antsy. Compared to the famous Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and the infamous Master of the Knights of Ren, she was no one. She had no experience (and no place) making plans and strategizing but she knew from her years on Jakku that idleness lead to death. She was just about to speak up when the silence was broken by R2-D2 leading a group of porgs into the room like a mother duck. As the droid let out a series of angry beeps Kylo crossed his arms and stared towards the port side.

"Artoo's right you know," Rey said in a stern tone that brooked no argument. "If we want to sneak into the First Order we **need** a _plan_."

"Fine," Kylo growled as he turned to face them. Since he had the most up to date information he took the lead. He had been on Snoke's Mega-class Star Dreadnought the Supremacy before being transported to Ahch-To. He assumed they were still following the Resistance ships as they slowly trudged along at sub-light speeds. They compared the signal from Rey's bracelet with Kylo's memory of the Supremacy's last location and gave Chewie a set of updated coordinates.

Once the plan had been hatched Kylo suggested he and Rey take a nap. If something goes sideways they might need all the energy they can get. Rey turned bright red, not knowing exactly what his intentions were. Luke excused himself to help Chewie pilot.

Kylo led the way down the port-side corridor to the crew quarters. Han Solo had updated the room to include a galley but that meant taking out some of the bunks. Now there was one slightly bigger, probably meant for Kylo's parents, and one smaller, probably meant for Kylo himself. There were also two bunks in the main hold but neither of them liked the idea of sleeping in such an open, well trafficked space. Kylo offered her the bigger bunk, but Rey rushed to sit on the smaller instead. Kylo was one of the tallest humans she's ever met and built like a brick so he'd need the room.

He shrugged his shoulders and sat on the larger bed, both of them bending to take off their boots. Rey was satisfied with that level of undress but Kylo apparently was not. She found herself unable to look away as he undid his belt, unzipped and removed his jacket, and then pulled his shirt over his head. Underneath he wore a black tank top with black suspenders. As he went to unbuckle the suspenders Rey quickly jumped under the covers and turned to face the wall. She could practically feel his smirk burning into the back of her head. He left his undershirt and pants on as he too climbed under the covers. The last thing Rey heard before she fell asleep was his measured breathing.

Rey woke up first. Despite her intense trip to the mirror cave she hadn't fought anyone and who knows how much energy was sapped when Kylo had… traveled to her location. _We need to come up with a better term for that_ , she thought. In actuality, Kylo just always needed more sleep, ever since he was a kid.

She heard a decidedly not human sound and slipped easily into a fighting stance. She edged her way over to Kylo's bunk and had to stifle her laughter as she noticed the porg snuggled up to Kylo's - no this was definitely a Ben thing - Ben's chest. Smiling to herself she pulled her boots back on and left to search for Luke.

She found him in the co-pilot's chair next to Chewie. Luke twisted to look her way when he heard her enter. With a raised eyebrow he stated, "Oh good, we're almost there. I was going to come wake you. but um… I wasn't sure what I would walk into." If Wookies could snicker, Chewie did just that.

Turning back around she said, "Oh… okay then. I guess I better go wake up Ben", and scampered from the cockpit. She didn't see them raising their eyebrows further at using his given name.

Back in the crew quarters she turned on the light, hoping that would be enough. He slumbered on. She softly called his name, first Ben then Kylo. He muttered a protest under his breath but continued sleeping. She walked over to his bunk and bent down, meaning to tuck a piece of his hair behind his overly large ear. At that moment the porg disentangled itself and hopped out of the bed. Ben let out a whining noise and reached out frantically as if to pull his cuddle buddy back in. Instead he found Rey, flipping her over to crush her to his chest with a squeak of surprise.

He signed in contentment, still at least half asleep. Before she could follow the porg's footsteps and get the kriff out of there, he began nuzzling into her hair and neck, breathing her in. She froze, half unable to move and half not wanting to. He threw a heavy leg over her own as he peppered kisses down her neck and shoulder, and she knew she was done for. Right as he started to nibble on her earlobe, earning a mewling noise from her, Luke opened the door.

"Mother of Kwath! This is exactly what I did NOT want to see!", Luke shouted, raising an arm to shield his vision and backing away with a huff.

Kylo came to so suddenly he jumped an inch off the bed, causing Rey to fall on the floor. He looked at her there with surprise and confusion. "What are you doing down there? And what in the hell was Skywalker screaming about?"

She felt her cheeks get hot, again. Was it even possible for a person to feel embarrassed this many times in the same cycle? "Well, um, I imagine he wasn't expecting to find us, you know, and then you pushed me off the bed..."

His eyes went wide and he pushed himself back towards the wall, realizing what she meant. "Tarkin's teeth! I'm so sorry, I thought I was dreaming!"

She stood up, brushed off her pants, and said in the least quivering voice she could muster, "Well. Okay then. Good to know." Without daring to look at him she headed back out the door, "Luke said we'll be there soon so we better get going." _Does he have dreams like that often?_ she wondered. _This is going to make our plan even more uncomfortable._

The escape pods were one room over from the crew quarters so it was a short walk. Luke had already opened one for them and was inputting information into its system. They decided to only take one as that would make it harder for the First Order to tell Kylo was with her instead of on the ship.

Rey saw that the pod was emblazoned with stenciled letters:

ESCAPE POD CLASS A9-40

MILLENIUM FALCON

And below that was added, in poorly written Clynese:

PROPERTY OF HAN SOLO PLEASE RETURN

She allowed herself to smile, wishing she could ask Han if that had ever worked. She regretted that more than likely this pod would never be returned. It seemed like desecration to remove something explicitly his without plans to bring it back.

Kylo, having redressed, slid down into the pod. _Damn, that looks like it will be a tight fit_ , Rey thought as she mulled over the best way to proceed. At least her time on Jakku prepared her for fitting in small spaces. She decided she would fit best on her stomach, her front pressed against his. To do this she'd have to go down feet first, dropping to her knees and then angling her back forward so she could basically slide down his form. Realizing this meant she'd have to straddle his face with her crotch, she covered her face with a palm and groaned. She looked down into the pod and gave Kylo the gist of her plan, asking him to press his legs together so hers could fit on either side of him.

Luke decided that was his cue to be anywhere else and gave R2-D2 the instructions for launching the pod.

Rey took a deep breath and carefully placed each foot on either side of Kylo's head. Even then he let out a muffled "ow!"

"Sorry! Did I step on your ear?"

"No, Rey, you did not step on my ear", he responded with a huff. "You stepped on my _hair_." Under his breath he muttered, "they aren't _that_ big."

Stifling a chuckle she bent down on her knees, there wasn't much she could do about his hair at the moment. Looking down to calculate her next move and seeing him in that position woke up some part of her that had mostly lay dormant. She knew she needed to move before that became obvious. Especially once he brought his hands up and grabbed her hips to steady her.

He hadn't exactly meant to grab her hips, if anything it was to steady himself. Seeing her like this? Force, he needed more. Especially after his not-a-dream. It took all the control he had to resist moving his mouth closer, to breath in her essence. If she had an inkling of what she was doing to him, she didn't show it.

She leaned her torso forward as much as she could while extending her legs behind her. Kylo's hands actually did help, keeping her pressed close to his body so she didn't hit herself on the top of the escape pod while also pushing her further backward.

Now that he had felt her against him, he couldn't let go. The bottom of her abdomen, right above her waistband, was now pressed against his face. Each breath of her was intoxicating. The escape pod was shaped like a coffin, and he thought he could die happy in this place with her.

Feeling his breath through the fabric of her top, she started to panic. _Kriff, I'm going to suffocate him! I did_ not _think this through_ , she thought as she frantically tried to push herself all the way back. Feeling her panic rise, Kylo kept a firm grip on her hips and turned his head sideways so he could ask in a husky voice, "Rey, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Mentally kicking herself for not realizing he could do that, she relaxed into him, resting her forehead on the metal hatch that would soon lock them in. He began rubbing small circles with his thumbs in a soothing motion, which both relaxed her further and made her stomach tense in a pleasant way. "I'm fine. I thought I might be hurting you."

He chuckled, causing her body to vibrate. "Sweetheart, you could never hurt me."

 _Is he being cocky, or…?_ She shook her head to clear her thoughts and continued inching her way into the pod. Kylo stared as her breasts descended towards him, mesmerized by her form. His hands felt at home on her hips and he wondered when he might have a chance to do this properly.

They locked eyes as her face became level with his. Tentatively he raised his head to brush her lips lightly with his own. She melted into his touch. As he tried to pull back she followed, not done with him yet. But as much as he enjoyed their kiss he needed _more_.

In one fluid motion he pulled her down so she could feel his erection at the apex of her thighs. They didn't even notice when R2-D2 locked them in.


	3. Throne Room Part 1

**A/N:** Sorry, no Resistance in this chapter! I intended to cut to them but once I started writing I realized I couldn't really write much with spoiling what happens with Rey and Kylo.

This chapter follows canon pretty closely, but there are differences in thoughts, feelings, and motivations. This is such a pivotal moment that glossing over what happened in a few sentences just didn't seem right. So I hope you enjoy it even if you already know a lot of what happens!

As always I give thanks to my Bee Team Betas and shamelessly promote my Tumblr ( frozenoj ), which is the best place to find out why the next chapter is taking so kriffing long.

* * *

The slight change as the Falcon came out of lightspeed brought them back to reality. "Stang! I forgot my com!" Kylo said in a panicked voice. "It's in my left pocket, you'll have to get it for me!"

Rey gave Kylo an exasperated look. "How the hell am I supposed to do that? It isn't exactly roomy in here!"

"Carefully!"

Rey rolled her eyes and began maneuvering as best as possible so her hand could slide into his pocket. He was damn lucky she had experience contorting her limbs to reach hard to get to items.

"Quickly!" The access hatch the pod would use to exit the ship was already open.

"I'm moving as fast as I can!" All previous ardor was forgotten, which did make her job a little easier. Fiddling around in his pocket trying to grab his comlink could have ended with quite a surprise. At last she took hold of the com and started trying to finesse her arm next to his hand, which was hovering over her hip. "Could you bring your arm up above my head, please?" He did as he was told and the com was handed off to it's owner.

Kylo activated it immediately. He informed whoever answered that he was on his way to the hanger, and asked to be patched in to the TIE fighters closing in on them. Once he was connected he commanded the pilots to maintain radio silence. It was imperative that no one else know there were two life signs in the pod instead of one.

They both held their breaths as the three TIEs escorted them into a mostly deserted area of the Supremacy's hanger. Kylo had told them specifically that's where he would be waiting. The less eyes around to spy him exiting the pod, the better.

The pilots were confused when there was no one waiting for them there, but maintained radio silence as they were told. Obedience was certainly something the First Order had going for it but the Resistance lacked. After landing and leaving their ships the three glanced at each other, unsure what to do. One of them cautiously stepped forward and noticing Kylo Ren inside quickly moved to open the pod.

He was ready. As soon as there was room he raised his arm and put the pilots to sleep just as he had done to Rey upon their first meeting. Getting out of the escape pod wasn't much easier than getting in, the two a tangle of limbs. Kylo was thankful there was no one there to see his awkwardness. Well, no one but Rey and she didn't count. He offered her his hand and helped her back inside, closing it behind her.

Rey was glad she didn't have to watch this part. She knew it was necessary, but messing with people's memories still didn't sit right with her. She knew now that Kylo had actually been _gentle_ while entering her mind, something he was unlikely to be with anyone else.

Once he had mind tricked the pilots into believing he had been there the whole time he moved to the glass and gave her a cheeky thumbs up. He woke the pilots and spoke into his com, asking for a team of stormtroopers to meet him in the hanger with Force suppression binders. He schooled himself into the most menacing figure he could manage and waited.

It was only after the troopers arrived that the pod was reopened and Rey was allowed to step out again. He nodded to the trooper holding the binders who roughly bound her hands in front of her. His slight grimace as she was manhandled was detected only by her. Then they were on their way. Neither the stormtroopers nor the pilots noticed her lightsaber already hooked on his belt.

They stopped at a turbolift surrounded by stormtroopers. _This must lead to Snoke_ , thought Rey. She could feel it in the force around them. Kylo dismissed the troopers and entered the lift knowing she would follow behind. The doors closed and they were finally alone again, at least for a moment. He was filled with turmoil, both for himself and for her, and for the briefest of moments he let his face slip. It was much easier to hide his emotions when wearing his mask.

She turned to face him. "Ben, you don't have to do this. When we touched I saw your future, just the shape of it but solid and clear. You will not bow before Snoke. You will turn - I'll help you. _I saw it_. It's your destiny."

He lifted his eyes to hers. "You're wrong. When we touched I saw something too. Not your future - your _past_. And because of what I saw, I know when the moment comes _you'll_ be the one to turn. You'll stand with me. Rey, I saw who your parents are."

There was no lie in Kylo's eyes, and that terrified her.

The lift's doors opened to Snoke's inner sanctum. The space was open with few features besides the dark throne sitting on a raised dais. The equally dark floor mirrored the blood red walls. Snoke sat slouched on his throne in gaudy golden robes, flanked by his crimson armored Praetorian Guards. Rey was stunned by the pain that emanated from the room, requiring Kylo to gently place a hand at the small of her back and push her forwards. The eight guards were, in fact, four pairs, each holding a different high-tech melee weapon, one of each pair standing on either side of the Supreme Leader. Their distinctive red armor created an intense localized magnetic field, allowing it to withstand blaster fire and even indirect lightsaber hits. This protection came at a cost: the pain Rey felt through the force. If Snoke knew the agony his elite guards were in he didn't care.

She moved further into the room of her own volition, Kylo hanging back to kneel before his master. She didn't know if it was standard protocol or if he was making a point to prove her prior statement wrong. It didn't matter. She understood that meeting the Supreme Leader would be necessary if she was to stay and train with Kylo. That didn't mean she would bow before him herself without putting up a fight. It wasn't in her nature.

Snoke eyed her hungrily, her humiliation a delicacy he couldn't wait to devour. "Come closer, child."

Rey stood her ground, and if anything that pleased him more. "So much strength," he said with something like admiration in his voice. "Darkness rises… and light to meet it. I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger his equal in the light would rise." Snoke glared at Kylo and with a casual gesture, Rey's lightsaber flew past her into his hand. "Skywalker, I assumed," he chuckled. "Wrongly."

"Closer, I said," Snoke whispered in a smooth, non-threatening tone that fooled no one. When Rey did not comply the force compelled her, gliding her across the smooth floor on her tiptoes.

"You underestimate Skywalker, and Ben Solo, and me. It will be your downfall," Rey confidently replied as she was pulled up the dais. It took all the strength Kylo had not to look up at this woman who would defend him so staunchly. He focused on his measured breathing so his feelings would not betray him.

"Oh? Have you seen something?" Snoke asked with feigned concern. "A weakness in my apprentice. Is that why you came?" His laughter mocked them both. "Young fool. It was I who bridged your minds."

At this Kylo did look up, unable to hide his confusion and pain from his master.

Snoke continued, "I stoked Ren's conflicted soul. I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you. And you were not wise enough to resist the bait." With a feral grin he moved Rey even closer, reaching a gnarled hand up to hold her face. "And now you will give me Skywalker. Then I will kill you… with the cruelest stroke."

Rey did not back down. She looked him straight in the beady eyes and uttered a single syllable: "No."

"Yes!" Snoke demanded. Using the force he propelled her up and across the room, holding her in midair. "Give. Me. Everything," he ground out as he assaulted her mind.

It was then Ben knew Snoke had to die. While he was preoccupied with Rey, Snoke wouldn't be paying as close attention to Ben's thoughts and he took that to his advantage. Never would he have allowed himself to contemplate the risk while in Snoke's presence otherwise. His eyes flitted to her held above him and he used her pain to give him strength. He did not ascribe to Sith traditions, but there was a certain something to an apprentice killing their master. As Rey screamed above him Ben felt an odd otherworldly breeze against his neck. instinctively knowing it was his grandfather's approval that he had sought for so long.

Having apparently gotten what he needed, Snoke let Rey drop unceremoniously to the ground. Ben cleared his mind of all treasonous thoughts, deciding to bid his time, but he could not remove the glare from his eyes.

Snoke continued his monologue mirthfully, "Well, well… I did not expect Skywalker to be so wise. We will give him and the Jedi Order the death he desires."

Rey jumped to her feet and summoned her lightsaber from where it sat on the arm of Snoke's throne. Her meager display of power bored Snoke, but still she had to be punished. Rather than landing in her hand as it was meant, the lightsaber sailed past her. Ben, on guard as he was, felt Snoke's force powers take over the weapon and managed to tilt his head _just so_ and avoid a collision. Rey was not so lucky. It flew behind Ben and back towards Snoke, but not before smacking her in the back of the head.

"Such spunk," Snoke deadpanned. With a flick of his wrist he sent Rey to the side of the room, where there was a huge magnifying glass. "Look here, now. The entire Resistance on those transports. Soon they will all be gone. For you, all is lost." As he spoke the red material covering the walls withdrew to show a viewport into space. The magnifying glass forced her to witness Resistance transports being torn asunder by First Order missiles.

Gritting her teeth Rey turned and summoned another lightsaber, Ben's red unstable one, from where he was still kneeling at the back of the room. It ignited immediately on reaching her hands, where she held it in a two-handed grip above her right shoulder. The Praetorian Guards sprung into fighting stances, no longer statuesque in the face of Rey's fury.

Knowing Finn, her first friend, could have been on one of the ships now turned to dust and debris caused darkness to surge within her. The First Order would pay for what they had done, and Ben had better not stand in her way. He had no plan to. Pride swelled within him at her unflinching determination. Cognizant of the danger they still faced, he buried his true feelings and pretended he was proud of the Order's achievement.

Snoke was delighted, and also apparently not paying much attention. "Oh, still that fiery spit of hope. You have the spirit of a true Jedi!"

Rey ran towards the throne, lightsaber primed for a killing blow. With a small twitch of a finger Snoke flung her backward, the lightsaber skipping across the floor to Ben's feet. As it spun there, disrupting his reflection in the shiny floor, a plan started to form. This was it. This was destiny. He raised his eyes as Snoke continued to speak. That really was a villain's downfall, they didn't know when to shut up and just _do_.

"And because of that… you must die." The words were spoken to Rey by Snoke, but could have easily come from Ben's thoughts about the Supreme Leader himself. Snoke used the force to lift Rey up on to her knees, and then spin her to face Ben. He refused to look at her, instead focusing his attention on his master.

"My worthy apprentice: son of darkness, heir apparent to Lord Vader. Where there was conflict,

I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training… and fulfill your destiny."

It was true, all of it. But it would not go the way Snoke thought. Ben picked up the lightsaber and calmly rose to his feet. Walking towards Rey, he finally shifted his eyes toward hers. "I know what I have to do."

Her eyes widened and she pleaded, "Ben…"

"You think you can turn him?" Snoke asked her. "Pathetic child. I cannot be betrayed. I can not be beaten. I see his mind. I see his every intent." He closed his eyes, savoring the victory through the force.

"Yes! I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true." Ben lifted his from pointing downward to face towards Rey, but also nudged his ancestral one to turn slightly towards Snoke. "And now, foolish child. He ignites it… And kills his true enemy!"

Snoke gasped as the blue blade impaled him from the side, only then realizing how true those words were. Rather than igniting the lightsaber in his hand, Ben flicked his fingers to turn on the one sitting on the arm of Snoke's throne. His eyes never left Rey's.

Having lost concentration, Rey was released from Snoke's hold to fall in a pile to the floor. She could not believe what she was seeing, and from the look of it neither could Snoke. Another jerk of Ben's finger's and the lightsaber was propelled towards them, cutting Snoke in two. He did not move to catch it, letting Rey grab it from her position on the floor.

She stood up and they locked eyes, determination on his face and surprise on hers. The force pulsed around them again, as it had when they touched hands in her hut. Everything became clear in that instant. Seeing things from their individual perspectives, they were both wrong. But they were also both right. In her vision Kylo _had_ turned, but he did not walk all the way to her side. She turned as well to meet him in the middle. Balance. He had faced his trial and had killed his master _for her_. Had promising to come back with him been enough for her? Or did she have a trial yet to come?

They stood back to back as the Praetorian Guards charged towards them, Ben finally igniting the lightsaber in his hand.

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 **A/N:** Please, pretty please let me know what you think! With this chapter having so much canon material I'm extremely nervous about getting it "right".

I'm also curious to know what you think about Rey having a trial. Was agreeing to go back to the ship with him enough, or will the Force require something else from her in the future?


	4. Throne Room Part 2

**A/N:** Now with a book cover! Also Chapter titles! Woohoo!

This chapter has a bit of mature language but it's not that bad. Even writing that much made me turn as red as the Throne Room walls...

Thanks so much for your feedback both here and elsewhere! It seems everyone thinks the Force expects more from Rey than what we've seen so far and all I'll say is you're not wrong.

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Their only mistake was allowing themselves to become separated. Back to back they moved as one, him stabbing forward just when she needed to lean on him for support during a kick. Rey let the Force move through her body, trusting the instincts it provided for how to move and when. But even with the help of the Force she began to get tired. She wasn't used to fighting so many, that were so armored, with such deadly weapons. Slightly missed timing and the last guard fighting her managed to scrape her arm with a glancing blow.

This enraged Ben, but not in a way that made him stronger. His desire to end the fight quickly made him sloppy. He quickly dispatched one of the three left fighting him, but his lightsaber struggled to get through the armor of the second. He succeeded, but the third guard took the opportunity to stab towards his midsection, forcing him to jump back and dropping his lightsaber in the process.

They were both locked in battle with a single guard and not faring well, a high tech weapon at each of their throats. In a bold move, Rey dropped her lightsaber from one hand into the other as she ducked out of the guard's grip and immediately slashed his gut, sending him flying over the edge. One down, one to go. Glancing towards Ben she saw he was weaponless, and without hesitation threw her lightsaber across the room into his waiting hand, poised perfectly to plunge into his captor's head.

He rose to his full height and discarding both the guard's weapon and the lightsaber to the side, never taking his eyes off her. His stare was mesmerizing, locking her in place as he stalked toward her. He was the predator and she the prey but she felt no fear, only exhilaration. He thought he heard her sigh his name as he bent to crush her lips with his.

This was nothing like the soft kiss they shared in the escape pod. It was filled with need and a fire that could not be quenched. Ben growled into her mouth, frustrated at their height difference. He bent at the knees, clutched the back of her thighs, and lifted her to straddle him. Rey grabbed fists full of his hair to steady herself, but if the pain bothered him he didn't show it. Without even looking he strode back towards the throne. One hand shifted to her ass for better balance while the other swept Snoke's sundered corpse off to the side to be forgotten using the force.

Ben took his rightful place on the throne with Rey on his lap and he couldn't imagine anything else ever feeling so _right_.

Rey couldn't imagine anything else _period_ , except maybe him with fewer clothes. She took her hands from his hair and tried to gain access to the skin of his torso, the skin that had left her flustered when he teased her with it through their bond. Ben had a similar idea, rubbing his calloused hands on the soft flesh beneath her tunic, causing her to shiver against him.

He was half hard from the moment their lips met, but the feeling of her shifting on his lap and the knowledge of her intentions did him in. A whimper escaped her at the feeling of him through her thin leggings, causing his cock to twitch. Rey abandoned her quest to remove the clothes hiding his chest from her and instead reached for his waistband, but he had on those stupidly high waisted pants. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead on his, both breathing heavily.

"Damn you and kriffing layers!" she breathed out.

His piercing brown eyes bored into her hazel ones. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She could tell he was holding himself back by the pressure he was using to grip her skin, as if her hips were the anchor keeping him grounded. Was that pain she heard in his voice?

It was just too good to be true. The second between his question and her inevitably coming to her senses seemed to last a lifetime. He almost regretted asking, but he knew this was something he could never come back from. Letting her go now would be the hardest thing he had ever done, but maybe she would still stay? Maybe she'd still allow him a place in her life. But her regretting it after… that would be the death of him.

He was broken out of his rumination by her enthusiastic consent, and he could barely believe his luck. "Yes, I'm sure! Now help me get these kriffing things off!"

"Haar'chak!" She cursed, jumping off his lap and almost falling off the dais. She had looked down at her hands to see how to remove his belt and spotted the homing beacon on her wrist. "The fleet!" Rey ran back to the magnifying oculus and saw the diminished number of ships. "Order them to stop firing, there's still time to save them!"

Ben sighed deeply and adjusted his pants, then stood up to walk toward her with a solemn expression on his face. He _knew_ it was too good to be true. "Rey, you said you would join me. Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels? Let it all die. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy. Do you think they care about you, the way I do?" He was a pace away now, with eyes like steel. "You have no place in this story. You come from _nothing_ , you _are_ nothing," he spat with venom. But then his eyes softened and Rey saw the Ben he only shared with her. " **But not to me**. Join me. _Please._ "

He reached out his hand, but she hesitated. She was taken aback by his cruelty and the contrast with his gentleness. Looking back from his hand to his eyes, she thought she understood. His malice was not aimed at her, but at the ones who threw her away. She swallowed and stood as straight as she could, putting her hand back down at her side and leaving him crestfallen. "There's one group you forgot in your speech, the First Order. I did promise to come with you, and I want to stay with you now. _But you have to let them go._ Then when we've got time we'll figure out what happens next. _Together._ "

His shoulders sagged with relief. She moved to his side where he could put one arm around her shoulder and her an arm around his waist. He staunchly refused to acknowledge the tears staining their faces as he barked into his com, "Get me General Hux!"

A moment later they heard a petulant voice come through, "What do you want, Ren? I'm kind of busy."

"Call of the attack, let the Resistance go. They are no longer a threat," Ben replied.

Hux scoffed, "You want me to _let them go_? Not a chance."

"This order comes directly from the Supreme Leader. You will obey or suffer the consequences," Ben ground out between his teeth.

"Supreme Leader Snoke ordered this? I find that highly unlikely. I am on my way up to confirm it with him _myself_."

"Snoke is _dead_. In a tradition as old as the very Force itself, I have taken his place. You _will_ obey."

Hux laughed. "You? Supreme Leader? Over my dead body."

The com cut off. Ben was incensed. How dare Hux move against him. He seethed and clenched his fists, ready for a fight. Rey untangled herself and went to look for their lightsabers. "Is this Hux important? Who does he have on his side?" She asked.

As much as Ben was loathed to admit it, Armitage Hux was popular among the Order. He took a deep breath and reached out with the Force to see if he was coming alone or bringing backup. Most of the crew were in their regular positions: at workstations, in training rooms, in their barracks. A company of stormtroopers were waiting in a hanger, most likely on standby should the Resistance make planetfall. Elsewhere two squads were congregating.

Ben chafed inwardly. "He's bringing 20 'troopers. We could take on that many normally, but…"

"I see." Rey had found Ben's lightsaber and was now picking up her own from where he had dropped it earlier. "Looks like the First Order made it on your list after all. I assume there's a way out of here?"

"Yeah just behi…" Ben never got to finish his sentence. An unimaginable amount of energy flared through the throne room, a brilliant flash of white following immediately in its wake.

Rey woke up first and crawled over to Ben to make sure he was okay. In a move similar to when they were on the Falcon, she brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and softly called his name. A look of pained confusion marred his face, but that all changed when he opened his eyes to see her bending over him. Ben broke into the biggest, most adorable smile she had ever seen.

"I love you," he said, the smile growing impossibly wider and crinkling his eyes.

Rey rolled her own. "No you don't, you have a concussion. Now get up, we've got to find a way out of here!" She knew the feelings they had for each other went beyond anything she could have previously imagined, but they weren't ready for _that_ quite yet.

His smile turned into a pout that was somehow even more adorable, but he let her help him to his feet. The resulting orthostatic hypotension caused it all to come rushing back to him. He pulled her behind the throne and opened an almost imperceptible hatch in the floor. Taking both of her hands in his and looking her in the eyes he pleaded, "this leads to Snoke's personal escape shuttle. Get the launch sequence started while I ward of Hux. _Promise me_ , if I'm not back by the time it is ready to go you will leave without me."

She stared at him with a slightly open mouth and pain in her eyes, silently shaking her head no. He reached both hands up to cup her face and gave her a kiss that made her doubt her previous concussion diagnosis. As the lift doors dinged open and boots started marching into the room, he begged her one more time, " _promise me!_ " Without waiting for an answer he ignited his lightsaber once more and rushed around the corner, determined to defend Rey at all costs. She had no choice but to descend into the shuttle bay and start preparations. She waited an additional minute after it was ready to go, praying he would return any second. With tears streaming down her face she left Ben and the cleaved ship behind.

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 **A/N:** These two can never catch a break! D: This is basically the end of Act I for them, we're back with Luke and the Resistance next chapter. And that should be it for canon compliant material if you're getting burnt out on that.

Comments and favs make an author's day! What did you think of Ben's little confession there?


	5. Return of the Jedi

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait! For those who haven't seen my updates on tumblr ( frozenoj), I have been plagued with hypersomnia the last couple months. This meant sleeping around 18 hours a day! I believe we have found the main cause thankfully, so I can get back to writing. I do also have a lot of other things I have to catch up on so this chapter is fairly short. My husband and I are trying to launch a new business by the end of the month so I don't know if I'll have another update before then, but I'll try!

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Luke slid into the co pilot's chair next to Chewbacca and started checking the displays to make sure they were ready to renenter real space. An unknown previous owner had attempted to install a cloaking device while the Falcon was out of their hands. Attempted being the key word. But there was no one left alive who knew the often finicky ship as well as Chewbacca, and improving the ship's stealth had been his main project while on Ahch-To. Nearby a porg fluttered around nervously, was it aware the cloak had never been properly tested?

All at once the elongated strings of stars disappeared to be replaced by the hulking mass of a ship that served as the First Order's mobile headquarters. The porg squawked in fear before burrowing into the fur of Chewbacca's lap. Staring at the Supremacy in front of them, Luke breathed out, "I have a very bad feeling about this…" Chewie huffed his agreement as he changed the ship's course away from Snoke's flagship. R2-D2 beeped in to let them know the escape pod had been released and they were free to pursue the Resistance.

So far their cloak was holding. Three TIE fighters were incoming but it was clear they were after the escape pod and not the Falcon itself. Chewbacca rumbled something in Shyriiwook that could best be translated as, "Those younglings better know what they're doing." (As far as he was concerned, anyone less than 50 years old was still a youngling.)

Luke was about to respond, but was distracted by the lecture Leia was giving him through their own Force bond. Her internal tone was tinged with grief and worry that threatened to overpower her relief at feeling him so near her location.

She ranted about how he had been needed, as a symbol of hope. How that young girl should have never had to face her son alone. How if Luke had been there, maybe Han would still be alive… How he had missed Han's funeral, if it could even be called that. His body was never recovered so Leia would never get to wear his Soul Diamond close to her heart. At that moment she blamed Luke for her husband's death almost as much as the one who had stuck him through.

Darkness had been building within her, but it was washed away by the light of forgiveness. Her brother was _home_. Home being where your family was, as she learned after the destruction of Alderaan.

Luke felt tears well up in his eyes at the intensity of their shared feelings, but choked them back. He knew they had much more to say to one another but now was not the time. He told Leia as much with a brief apology and then compartmentalized his feelings in a practiced way that showed years of honing. "Where are you? And what can we do to help?"

Leia rolled her eyes at the whole incorrigible Jedi religion. She hoped Rey had not picked up too much of that side of things. Clinging to the light was one thing, but there was no reason emotion could not be present within said light.

The Resistance was in a bad way. The First Order had developed technology to track them through hyperspace leaving them trapped. (Luke knew that much already from speaking to Kylo, but was resolute in not bringing up that part of the trip to Kylo's mother unless absolutely necessary.) Ever since figuring out they were being tracked, the Resistance Fleet had slogged on through real space. What Kylo didn't know to relay to them was that they did have a destination in mind: the mineral planet Crait.

Now it was Luke's turn to roll his eyes, a little emotion slipping through the barriers he placed within his mind. Leia had been somewhat obsessed with the planet, since it was there she discovered the existence of the Rebel Alliance led by her adoptive father Bail Organa. She had even taken Luke, Han, and Chewie to the planet in an ill-fated attempt to turn it into a Rebel base after losing Yavin 4. Luke had thought it a desolate planet then, not knowing what awaited them on Hoth. He hoped to go the rest of his life without hearing another temperature inside of a tauntaun joke.

Crait may not be as cold as Hoth, but it could be just as dangerous. The salt layer covering the surface could be picked up by the wind, resulting in storms that petrified anyone caught within them. There was a reason it was twice failed as a Rebel base. Those two attempts and a mining operation did mean there was some existing infrastructure they could use as a safe haven while signaling allies, however.

It wasn't a bad plan, considering the options.

It was a better plan now that the Millennium Falcon had arrived.

Much faster than the escape transports, it had Luke and Chewbacca planetside in mere minutes. They had barely started taking stock of the facilities meager supplies when there was an explosion above the planet's atmosphere. Without Luke's Force sensitivity they may not have even noticed, inside as they were.

He immediately reached out to his sister, both to make sure she was personally okay and for a general status update. The First Order had noticed their subterfuge and were now attacking the escape transports. Luke flinched as he felt the fear emanating from what was left of the Resistance after a near miss. What could be done? The Falcon was far better equipped than the transports, but it could not take on the First Order single-handedly. Trying would likely get them killed. No, the best place for Luke and Chewie was there on the planet sending out distress calls. Luke was never more glad that his sister had the Force herself, as it provided a modicum of protection intrinsically.

Some of the porgs had been hesitantly disembarking the ship when there was a tinkling sound from the back of the bunker. A fox-like creature with clear crystals covering its white fur had emerged from somewhere deep inside the cave-like facility. Looking up from his work, Chewbacca growled at the canid while lumbering towards the porgs in order to protect them. One of the stout birds flew up near his shoulder and squawked as if challenging the creature, brave now that Chewie had their back. The crystalline animal got the hint and scurried away.

Every once in a while a faint tinkling could be heard letting them know the creature hadn't gone far, even if it remained out of sight.

As Luke and Chewie got the computers and communication systems up and running, additional transports were blasted apart in space above them. _What is going on?_ Luke wondered. He may not have known Rey for long, but it was long enough to know she wouldn't abide by this willingly. Not even for a pair of pretty eyes and adorably oversized ears. _What trouble did I allow her to walk in to? Why did I hope he could be redeemed? He could be torturing her this very minute, or worse..._ Luke focused on his breathing and shoved his guilt down with all the rest of his feelings. Nothing could be done for her now. But there was work to do to ensure the remaining Resistance members had a place to go. He had to give that his full attention.

" _Communications are live, anyone in particular you want us to contact?"_ Luke asked Leia through their bond.

" _Send it far and wide, using my personal code. If there are any allies to the Resistance, it's now or never."_

There was no point in hiding now. The First Order knew exactly where they were.

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A/N: According to Legends sources, it is traditional for Corellians to be cremated and then their ashes compressed into a blue-white gem. Since they sometimes emitted a faint glow, it was believed some of the deceased's soul still resided within.

The info about past attempts to turn Crait into a base is canon compliant. You can read about it in the comic The Storms of Crait.

Thanks for reading, and any favs or comments you deem me worthy! =]


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